Indicator for shafts.



No. 650,517. Patented May 29, I900.

J. PLACE.

INDICATOR FOR SHAFTS.

(Application filed Aug. 31, 1899.)

(,No Model.)

E u mm m UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN PLACE, OF DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

INDICATOR FOR SHAFTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 650,517, dated May 29, 1900.

Application filed August 31, 1899- To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN PLACE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicators for Shafts; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in indicators for shafts, and particularly to that class of indicators which are adapted to show the direction in which a shaft is revolving, as well as to make it possible to calculate the speed of the said shaft.

My invention consists in a machine for indicating the speed and direction of shafts, comprising a lever, a trip upon the shaft adapted to engage the said lever, a cable or rope connecting the said lever with the indicator-shaft, and a pointer carried by the indicator-shaft, the construction being such that when the shaft revolves in one direction the pointer or indicator will move to one side and when the shaft is reversed the pointer will move in the opposite direction.

It also consists in certain other novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of an indicator mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention, the supports of the said mechanism being shown in section. Fig. 2 represents an end elevation of the same, the supports for the said mechanism and the shaft being shown in section. Fig. 3 represents a top plan view of the said mechanism, a portion of the supporting means being broken away to show the same; and Fig. 4 represents a detail top plan view of the indicator dial or plate.

My improved indicator is adapted to be used upon revolving shafting of any kind.

For the sake of illustration I have shown my improved indicator as applied to the propeller-shaft of a vessel, though I do not Wish to be limited to its use upon such a shaft.

1 in the drawings indicates a propellerfierial No. 72 9,122. (No model.)

shaft; 2, a collar secured thereto or thereabout and provided with a flange carrying a pin or roller 3. p

4 is a pivoted lever, and 5 an indicatorshaft.

In constructing an indicator of this character the lever 4 is preferably pivotally mounted in a bracket 6, which may be secured to the under surface of a deck or floor, as 7. The lower end of the lever 4 is arranged so as to project into the path of the pin or roller 3, secured to the flange 2 of the collar 2, which is carried around by the shaft 1 in its revolutions. The upper end of the said lever 4 is returned to its normal vertical position, when moved therefrom, by means of springs 4 4, interposed between the said lever and the bracket 6. To the upper end of the lever 4 are secured the ends 8 8 of a cable 9, the said end portions engaging suitable eyes formed upon the upper end of the lever. The cable 9 passes around'pulleys 1O 10, mounted upon shafts 11 11, depending from the deck 7. The shafts 11 are preferably bent at a slight angle, so that the pulleys '10 will be in proper position to allow for the movement of the lever 4, or may be vertical with a horizontal wheel perpendicularly movable mounted thereon. The cable 9 then extends forward on each side and around rollers 10 10, so that the side portions of said cable are substantially parallel and will avoid the hatches, 850., in the vessel, and thence to a segment 12, to which it is secured. The segment 12 is rigidly fastened to the lower end of the in dicator-shaft 5, so that the cable can partially rotate the shaft 5 bymeans of its connection with the segment 12. The lower end of the indicator 5 is preferably kept in proper alinement by means of a bracket 13, secured to the deck 7, or by any suitable supporting means. The indicator-shaft 5 preferably projects up through the vessel, so as to extend into or near the pilot-house, Where it can be seen by those navigating the vessel. To the upper end of the indicator-shaft 5 is secured a pointer or indicator 14, which is arranged to travel back and forth above the indicator disk or plate, as 15, secured to any suitable'standard upon the floor 16 of the pilot-house. As seen in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the indicator-disk is T any kind of machinery.

4 from one side, the said lever being moved preferably divided into halves by a central line 17 and the words Ahead and Astern marked upon each side of the said line.

The operation of the device is as .follows: When the shaft is revolving in one direction say so as to propel the vessel forwardthe pin or roller 3 will continually strike the lever a short distance by the said pin and actuating the cable 9, so as to correspondingly turn the indicator-shaft and move the'indicatof or pointer 14 to the side of the dial marked Ahead. It will be observedthattherpointer will move to this side'every time the pin or roller 3 engages the lever 4, so that by counting the number of movements of the pointer 14 per minute the number of revolutions of the shaft duringthe same length of time can be closely obtained. hen the propeller-shaft is reversed, the lever 4 will be actuated in the opposite direction, so that the pointer or indicator 14 will move to the side of the dial marked Astern. It will only be necessary for the pointer to move at an angle, say, of sixty to eighty degrees upon each side of the center line of the dial and have a range on both sides of the center line of the dial of about one hundred and forty degrees.

It will be observed from the above description that I am enabled to produce an indicator for shafts which is very simple in construction and not likely to get out of order and one which may be applied to shafting of It will also be observed that the direction of the revolutions of the shaft-will be ascertained at a glance from the dial and that the speed of the shaft can be quickly and accurately ascertained.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An indicator for shafts comprising a pivoted lever, a detent ad justably secured upon the periphery of the shaft so that it may be arranged at a suitable point thereon to strike one end of the said lever, springs. arranged upon each side of the lever so as to return it to its original position, a cable secured to the end of the lever farthest from the shaft and connected with the indicator-shat t, where by upon the revolution of the shaft, the inother according to the direction of the revolution of the shaft, substantially as described.

2. An indicatorforshafts comprisingalever, a bracket for pivotally supporting the said lever, said lever extending at its upper end interposed between the lever and each of the legs of the said bracket for holding the said lever normally in an intermediate position, a divided collar adapted to be adjustably seciii'ed to the periphery of said shaft-at a suitable point thereon to strike one end of the Saidlever'astheshaft revolves, a cable secofinected with the indicator-shaft, the construction being such that upon the revolution of the shaft, the indicator will be turned in one direction or the other according to the direction of the revolution of the said shaft, substantially as described.

3. In an indicator mechanism for shafting, the combination with a suitable shaft, of a collar adapted to be secured to the said shaft at any desired point, an annular flange formed upon the said collar, a stud projecting laterally from the said annular collar, a lever adapted to extend into the path of the said stud, whereby it will be struck upon each revolution of the shaft, a bracket for pivotally supporting the said lever, said lever passing through a slot formed at the apex of the bracket, a coiled spring interposed between each leg of the bracket, and the said lever, for returningit to a normal position, a cable connected with the upper end of the lever on each side thereof and extending in opposite directions to the indicator-shaft, an indicator-shaft carrying a pointer or indicator, a segment secured to the said indicator-shaft, the cable from the actuating-lever being secured to the said segment, the construction being such that the revolving of the shaft will' impart a movement to the indicator in one direction or the other according to the revolution of the said shaft, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J OIIN PLACE.

XV it n esses J AMES T. WATsoN,

dicator will be turned in one direction or the .INo. JENsWALn, Jr.

cured to the other end of the said lever and between the legs of the said bracket, springs 

